Long before James Nettle Glover “discovered” Spokane in 1873, the Spokane Tribe of Indians inhabited the area.
They enjoyed the natural beauty of the area, the natural resources, and other benefits for families who resided in or visited Spokane.
Today, Spokane is still family-friendly, with many attractions and fun things to do with kids.
Make memories with your children, whether they are toddlers or hard-to-please teens.
Visit a spectacular park or a cascading waterfall.
Let the kids engage in hands-on activities or take in the sights and sounds of the city.
Take the kids to see wild animals participate in a water adventure, or go on a zipline tour.
These 12 things to do in Spokane with kids are sure to delight kids of all ages.
Contents
- Things to Do in Spokane With Kids
- Spokane Safety Overview
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Spokane offer inclusive activities and adventures for kids?
- Why do some Spokane museums, amusement parks or other locations have height restrictions for some activities if they are supposed to be kid-friendly attractions?
- How many lakes are there in Spokane?
- Do we need to book our things to do with kids in Spokane ahead of time, or can we just show up at the gate?
Things to Do in Spokane With Kids
Mobius Discovery Center
Mobius Discovery Center takes pride in “sparking curiosity and lighting imagination”for children that are toddlers through age 12.
The well-known discovery center and children’s museum feature many interactive displays and play-based exhibits.
Children who are ages three and under participate in sensory activities and play in the Enchanted Forest, while kids of all ages can visit the many galleries that correlate with their interests or just the desire to have fun.
Wattson’s World teaches energy conservation and safety.
Let the kids build their own structure at Bridges and Structures or break ground at the Super Dig.
Say hello to the live animals and reptiles and learn about their characteristics.
Participate in a variety of art activities and other fun, learning activities.
Riverfront Park
Where better to take the kids than to an attraction that National Geographic named “One of America’s most beautiful urban parks?”
The magnificent oasis known as Riverfront Park encompasses more than 100 acres and offers something for everyone.
The Looff Carousel, hand-carved in 1909, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Parents and children can choose to ride a horse, a dragon, a tiger, or a giraffe.
It is also wheelchair accessible.
Kids will laugh at the Garbage Goat, a steel goat that has been eating garbage since the 1974 World’s Fair.
Let the kids feed pieces of paper to the goat and watch the paper disappear.
Cool off at the Riverfront Water Fountain or enjoy the 40,000-square-foot Ice Age Playground.
Kids can climb, dig for fossils, or enjoy the three-story slide tower.
The Numerica Sky Ride provides an unforgettable family experience as you and your children gaze at the river and the falls below.
Take a Zipline Tour
Take the older kids on a zipline tour when you visit Spokane.
Soar above the treetops when families with children over seven years of age book a zip line tour that lasts up to three hours.
Families choose their favorite tour for a personalized experience and unforgettable family fun.
Spokane Falls
Do you get excited when you hear“free family fun?”
Trek along a trail for a picturesque walk or get right next to the falls and the soak zone when you make your way over to Huntington Park.
Let the kids get an ideal view of the upper and the lower falls and hear the roar of the waters while enjoying the scenic beauty of Spokane Falls.
ROW Adventure Center
Book a guided tour with the highly acclaimed ROW Adventure Center and enjoy a whitewater rafting adventure, kayaking, or fishing adventure.
Does your family prefer to experience the great outdoors through other activities?
Consider booking a tour for bicycling, hiking, or other ROW Adventure Center options.
Some excursions have age restrictions, so check each tour that you are interested in before you complete the booking process.
Cat Tales Wildlife Center
The Cat Tales Wildlife Center provides kids with an unforgettable experience when they walk within 10 feet of tigers, bobcats, lynxes, bears, cougars, foxes, and other animals.
Kids have an opportunity to feed some of the bears, big cats, and foxes while they are in a safe and protected environment.
Kids learn about the animals in this wildlife sanctuary and zoological park while having fun and making memories.
Get Air Trampoline Park
Turn the kids loose at Get Air Trampoline Park for a day of fun and laughter.
There are no age requirements, but there are height requirements for some activities.
Kiddie Court is a toddler-friendly jumping area for kids 46 inches tall and below.
The little kids will also have fun in the foam pit.
Activities for older kids, including teens, include basketball hoops, a dodgeball arena, the ninja course, slacklines, and other activities and amenities.
Blue Zoo
Kids of all ages will have an unforgettable experience when visiting the Blue Zoo.
Touting itself as “More than an aquarium, more than a zoo,” the Blue Zoo allows visitors to experience the attraction through a variety of hands-on experiences.
Meet sharks face-to-face.
Let the kids touch the stingrays and take the opportunity to feed a real stingray.
They can also touch and feed birds and reptiles.
The kids will enjoy the live pirate show and having a meet and greet with a mermaid.
Head over to see the stingrays and sharks.
The kids will experience interacting with a scuba diver in the shark tank during a live show.
The many other activities at the Blue Zoo are sure to delight the entire family.
Centennial Trail
Rent a bike if you and the kids do not bring your own bike along for this adventure.
The Centennial Trail provides a fun, free opportunity for kids to explore Spokane while enjoying the scenic beauty.
Does your family prefer to leave the bike behind and hike or walk along the trail?
Centennial Trail Spokane spans two states and has 18 marked trailheads along the 40-mile Spokane River Centennial Trail.
Get your day pass and choose your trailhead and route, which has varying levels of intensity.
Take a break along the trail for sightseeing, eating, and shopping along Centennial Trail.
It is considered to be one of the most scenic areas in Spokane and is visited by more than two million people each year.
Green Bluff
Take the kids to experience a simpler lifestyle at Green Bluff.
The small farming community is an agricultural wonder with the opportunity for the family to find their way through a corn maze and explore a farm.
Take a tractor ride, pick a pumpkin, or pick your own berries in season.
Check out the seasonal activities that are available, depending on the time of year that you plan to visit Green Bluff with the kids.
Historic Flight Museum
Take a tour of the Historic Flight Museum in Spokane Valley and view the extensive historic and rare aircraft that have been fully restored to their flying condition.
Kids learn how aviation has shaped history and the role of aviation in the future.
Family members get to hear the roaring sounds of historic aircraft taking off from Felts Field Historic District, and learn about planes built from 1927 through 1957, considered to be the “Golden Age of Flight.”
Purchase a flight in one of six planes and receive a one-year membership to the Historic Flight Museum.
Displays rotate, so you will likely have a new experience each time that you and the kids visit the museum.
Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden
Visit the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden to let the kids experience the sisterhood between Spokane, Washington, and the Japanese city of Nishinomiya.
The garden, which was constructed in 1974, features a beautiful landscape, that offers a sense of tranquility, the opportunity to see majestic waterfalls, plants from around the world, and a wide array of flowers and flowering trees throughout the garden.
Take the time to visit the glistening pond that is filled with Koi fish.
The kids will enjoy watching the fish at the fish viewing areas while enjoying the beautiful garden.
It has a variety of reflective places and water features.
Spokane Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Spokane Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spokane offer inclusive activities and adventures for kids?
Many Spokane parks, museums, centers, and locations for family fun and adventure offer wheelchair access or activities such as sensory experiences for children.
Check with each place that you would like to visit to get detailed information.
Why do some Spokane museums, amusement parks or other locations have height restrictions for some activities if they are supposed to be kid-friendly attractions?
The reason for height restrictions is to provide safety for all kids.
Some height restrictions may include that a child must be at least a certain height to ride a particular ride, while others may have a maximum height to participate in an activity to protect the younger or smaller children.
How many lakes are there in Spokane?
There are more than 75 lakes that are within 50 miles of Spokane, providing families with kids a variety of sightseeing opportunities, water adventures, and other activities.
The area also has hundreds of miles of rivers and creeks.
Do we need to book our things to do with kids in Spokane ahead of time, or can we just show up at the gate?
Check with each activity or experience that you plan to explore to see their ticket requirements.
Many locations or activities may require advance ticket purchase.
You may want to purchase your tickets in advance anyway, to make sure that your date is already reserved ahead of your arrival.
